Eat These Foods to Help Promote Hair Growth and Better Skin
Raise your hand if you’ve heard the expression, “You are what you eat.” It’s often repeated because it’s proven to be true time and time again.
Have you ever watched someone change their lifestyle and appear as though they’re glowing? Perhaps they laid off the booze or eliminated sugar from their diet.
Whatever the case may be, external health often starts with how we treat our insides. And if this is something that’s been on your mind lately, read on for a beefy list of foods to help improve hair growth and skin health.
Protein
There’s no point in having a conversation about a diet for healthy hair and nails if we don’t discuss protein. Hair, skin, and nails are primarily made of protein. That’s why we see things like keratin and collagen touted all the time.
Keratin
Keratin is the protein that forms our hair, nails, and the outer layer of our skin – the epidermis. Our body naturally produces keratin.
But, if you feel like your hair and nails need an extra boost, you can supplement your diet with keratin-rich foods, i.e., foods that are high in protein.
According to the Cleveland Clinic, foods that are rich in keratin include:
Carrots
Kale
Garlic
Eggs
Salmon
Sweet potatoes
That’s not such a bad diet, in terms of the best foods for hair growth. While you don’t see keratin supplements as abundantly as collagen (which we’ll discuss in a minute), there are other ways to supplement your body with it.
Keratin-rich shampoos are one of the best ways to help your body absorb it. You’ll want to look for shampoos and conditioners that contain keratin hydrolysates.
There are also regular keratin hair treatments you can seek out. And, in addition to helping with your hair growth, these treatments may also reduce frizz.
Collagen
Collagen is another protein that can easily be incorporated into your diet. You can purchase it in powder form and swirl it into a daily cup of tea. It’s relatively flavorless and won’t disrupt the flavor of your favorite tea selections.
In terms of foods that are high in collagen, you can consider:
Bone broth
Papaya
Cauliflower
Broccoli
Leafy greens
Chicken
Again, that’s not too difficult to incorporate into daily living, right?
Bone broth is particularly nutrient dense, even beyond its wealth of collagen. It also contains calcium, magnesium, vitamin A, vitamin B, iron, zinc, and amino acids, making it a health-conscious foodie’s dream.
Seafood
When you start doing your research on the topic, healthy fats in the form of omega-3s will come up a lot. They’re said to improve heart health, eye health, ease inflammation, and more.
If dryness and irritation are your primary concerns with regard to your skin, you may not be eating enough of these healthy fats.
By incorporating fish into your diet a few times a week, you may be able to see some improvement over time. The key is to shop for oily fish like salmon, sardines, or tuna.
If you’re not a lover of a thick piece of fish, see if you can cycle in a tuna salad on a croissant once or twice a week. If you top that sandwich with some leafy greens, carrots, and garlic, you’re looking at a plateful of the best foods for healthy hair and skin.
Whole Grains
There was an early episode of Grey’s Anatomy where George and Izzy were making fun of Derek and Meredith because Derek was staying over at their house all the time. They felt like they had an uninvited fourth roommate they didn’t ask for.
One morning, Derek came downstairs for breakfast, pulled a box of cereal off the top of the fridge, and sat down to enjoy his meal. George and Izzy made fun of him because he was eating muesli.
They thought it was too health-conscious and tasted terrible. Yet, did he not have the best head of hair?
Pure whole grains, like muesli, can be a little tough to take. Certainly, they can have a bit of a cardboard-like taste.
If you’re not brave enough to eat something like muesli straight out of the box, you can make an overnight oats version of it. This can quickly turn it into one of the best foods for your skin, hair, and nails.
Simply combine whole grain oats, nuts, and dried fruit with the muesli. Let it soak overnight in low-fat milk. By morning light, you’ll have a delicious concoction to pair with your morning cup of tea or hot water.
Water and Tea
Which brings us to tea… While not necessarily food, water and tea are important elements of our diet. So, let’s add these to the list of best foods for hair, skin, and nails.
Water itself is important to keep our hair and skin well-hydrated. It’s the first course of action you can take in the battle against dry skin.
You may wonder why everyone carries around a 40 oz Stanley cup with them wherever they go nowadays; and it’s because more and more people are getting health conscious.
Certain teas contain flavonoids which boost blood circulation and help deliver nutrients throughout the body. The types of tea with the highest number of flavonoids include black, green, and white tea.
Black tea is your classic breakfast tea. See if you might like to invest in loose leaf tea from a reputable brand like Harney and Sons and make a morning ritual out of it to calm your spirit before a busy day.
Green tea comes in so many varieties that it’s safe to say there’s something for everyone. There are fruit-flavored green teas to take the edge off its potentially bitter taste. You can try matcha, and maybe even learn how to make a matcha latte.
White tea is as smooth as it comes. It’s light, airy, and delicious. You can add in supplements like local honey (to boost your immune system) or a lovely scoop of collagen. Either way, the addition of tea into your everyday diet is something that can really improve your system when consumed regularly.
Nuts
Anytime someone changes lanes into a healthier lifestyle, they often have to toss the sugar cookies out the window for fruit, nuts, and tiny slices of dark chocolate. These are easy foods to try for healthy hair, skin, and nails.
Each of these items may be able to help the body regulate weight, and even help protect against the harmful effects of heart disease and diabetes.
But, with hair and nails in mind, nuts are a wonderful addition because of their high protein content. They also contain healthy fats like salmon and tuna.
For an evening snack, consider a small plate of berries, nuts, and dark chocolate. Savor it with a cup of white tea. Alternatively, you can add nuts into your muesli and oats concoction.
The point of all of this is to find unique ways to incorporate these healthy foods into your daily diet in a way that suits your palate. It may take a few different tries but, after a month of dedication, you’ll be surprised how easily your body falls into a new rhythm.
In fact, it’s probably been longing for it for quite some time.
Citrus Fruits
Berries are often included in the diet of a health-conscious person. But, don’t forget your citrus fruits like grapefruits, oranges, kiwis, and lemons.
They’re high in vitamin C, which is vital to the body’s ability to create collagen. Like green tea, citrus fruits are high in antioxidants which are the body’s warriors against free radicals and toxins.
Squeeze a slice of lemon into your tea; eat a half a grapefruit in the morning with your whole wheat toast; or indulge in a weekly treat of ice cream with a little kiwi on top.
The Best Foods to Help Improve Hair Growth and Skin Health
It’s interesting that practically any healthy diet contains lean protein, healthy fats, whole grains, and nuts. While something like this is keto-friendly and largely carb-free, a healthy diet isn’t just about weight loss.
It’s about providing our system with the proper nutrients to help us blossom from the inside out. Healthy hair, skin, and nails are one of the biggest indicators of a healthy lifestyle.
If our hair is lustrous, our skin has a natural glow, and our nails aren’t always chipping or peeling, it means we’re doing something right.
As you continue on your journey towards overall health and wellness, don’t forget about the mental and emotional components, as well. We wish you great success in your continued transformation, chock full of the best foods to help improve hair growth and skin health.
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